The game of golf is an increasingly popular sport not only in the United States but throughout the world. As the sport has grown in popularity, the number of golfing accessory items introduced on the market has multiplied in kind. Among the many types of devices developed to enhance the playing of golf are devices which support a golf club in an upright position, rather than laying the club on the fairways and putting greens, such that the handle of the golf club does not contact the ground. These support devices not only prevent the golf handle from getting wet or muddy as the result of morning due or earlier rains, but also allow golfer to grab his club without having to bend. In addition, the use of such support devices prevent contamination of the golf club grips from chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers which commonly are used in the maintenance of golf courses, thereby preventing such chemicals from being transferred to the hands and body of the golfer.
The prior art is replete with numerous devices designed to support a golf club in an upright position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,507 to White et al. provides a portable golf club supporting aid having a notched opening for receiving a shaft of a club. In operation, the golfer inserts the club shaft within the notched opening and must slide the device off of the supporting aid when he wishes to use the club. A more complicated device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,230 to Horton which discloses a collapsible golf club stand having a pair of legs attached to a golf club shaft engaging member. To engage or disengage the golf club from the golf stand, the user must hold the stand in one hand in its closed position, gripping the upper portion of the legs and grip portion, and snap the lower end of the golf club shaft into or out of a recessed area. U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,581 to Boberg discloses a one-piece apertured prop for spacing the handgrip of a golf club from the ground. Although each of the above-described devices may accomplish the intended objective of maintaining a golf club in a position such that the handle does not contact the ground, it appears that none of these support devices has found commercial success.
In addition, several devices have been developed to assist the golfer in selecting an appropriate alignment of the golf club (or putter) with the intended line of play. These devices provide both support and alignment of a golf club. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,247 to Smith provides a golf club stand device having a connector portion which holds a portion of a golf club shaft, particularly a putter, and a leg structure portion which can support the putter in an upright position on a putting green such that the golfer can align his putts. The leg structure includes means to release the support legs from the extended position to a retracted position such that the golfer can putt with the device still connected to the putter shaft. U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,329 to Hirsch describes a golf club alignment guide for support a golf club in the form of a triangular bracket having C-shaped spring clamp for holding the shaft of a putter.
Despite the developments of the prior art, there is still a need for a support and alignment implement capable of supporting a golf club, putter or any conventional type club having an elongated shaft. Such a device should be simple to use, enabling the user to very quickly but securely engage or disengage a portion of the elongated shaft and should be capable of immediate use, that is, should not require that the user must set-up the device prior to or during use. In addition, such a device should be relatively lightweight and compact such that it can be stored in the user's pocket or the pocket of a golf club bag, or be clipped to the golf bag itself. Finally, such a device should be of simple construction and inexpensive to manufacture.